Founded in 1989 as a distribution company, Gulf Film (GF) has grown and now holds a 51% market share of the MENA market and distributes more than 100 films annually, the vast majority of which are Hollywood blockbusters, plus some Bollywood and Egyptian productions. In 2012, GF was acquired by Elan (formerly known as Qatar Media Services). Then, in 2017, GF launched its film equity brand, Novo Pictures, focusing on English-language projects.